Press Release

For Immediate Release

Equipment Reliability helps U.S. Manufacturers Compete

SHELTON, CT - April, 2006 - With so much being written today about global competition and outsourcing, what can U.S. manufacturers do to compete? Many are finding implementation of process improvement techniques such as Lean Manufacturing and Six-Sigma are helping them remain in the U.S. and compete in the global marketplace.

Today, one area that still remains largely overlooked is the critical role equipment care plays in helping companies reach their improvement goals. A recent study of Six-Sigma projects found that equipment reliability issues were the root case of between 60-80% of problems studied. This highlights the importance equipment reliability plays in an organization's overall success and underscores the opportunities that exist for organizations that have not put much focus on their equipment.

At this year's Total Equipment Reliability Conference, presented by Productivity Inc., executives and managers from a wide-range of manufacturing companies across all industries will gather together to understand, learn and share ideas on the role of equipment reliability in the overall success of the operation. The conference is being held May 15-18, 2006 at the San Antonio Marriott Hotel. This annual event, formerly known as the Total Productive Maintenance Conference is in its 15th year.

Executives and managers from Westinghouse Electric Company, Guardian Industries, Cox Manufacturing, Andersen Windows and Doors, Duracell and others will present case studies on their equipment management programs. These case study presentations are further supported by 16 Knowledge Transfer Sessions, each offering a deep dive into an aspect of equipment reliability, and a plant tour of Kinetic Concepts, a local San Antonio facility finding great success implementing the techniques of Lean Manufacturing.

Over 150 manufacturing leaders are expected to attend the event seeking nuts-and-bolts information they can immediately implement to increase uptime and process efficiency while reduce defects - ultimately increasing the overall efficiency of their total operation.

For more information on The Total Equipment Reliability Conference or any of Productivity Inc. other workshops, conferences or certificate programs, call 1-800-966-5423 or visit us on the web at www.productivityinc.com.

About Productivity Inc.

Productivity Inc. is an established consulting and training firm delivering leading-edge Lean implementation strategies throughout the Global 1000. For over 25 years, our proven waste elimination and culture change methodologies have helped companies worldwide improve their operational effectiveness, get results and ultimately increase their return on assets. Our team-based approach to implementation ensures a transfer of ownership of the improvement process, to enhance and sustain enterprise-wide implementation. Our team has the ability and real-world experience to integrate the technical and social aspects of Lean in both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing environment.

Productivity Inc.'s global offices allow us to service clients across a wide variety of industries around the world.

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